Monday, October 25, 2010

Airlines Industry Starts Tweeting

The truth is hard to hide from when it come to airlines industry. Every year that passes the airlines has more security and more problems, each day that passes being more stressful then the next.Whether it is the service's you should be getting for free, the crabby employees you have to deal with or lack of employees, most people would rather walk to their destination then fly.

In a recent reports, an interview with the VP of customer interaction analytics with Verint, (a contact centre analytics firm) stated “It’s difficult to differentiate yourself in an industry that is as heavily service-based as the airline industry”.Porter Airlines thinks they have the number one reason for serving people while waiting for their flights, and rescue all frustrated, unsatisfied customers.

Few days ago, a woman was standing in line getting frustrated, and impatient. She decided to use her smart phone to tweet her frustration on Twitter about how the line in Porter Airlines was not moving.

Porter Airlines employees were scanning for Twitter traffic, more along the lines of looking for references to the airlines and what others had to say about it, when the Porter Airlines staff had come across the women’s tweet about being dissatisfied with the service. So remember, when you least expect, others are following you, because the airline was listening to her complaint on Twitter.Listening to customers does work.

When this woman had made her way through the long line up and got to the counter ready to complain, she was surprised when the porter airlines, addressed her dissatisfied complaint and had all of her matters dealt with and had her on her way.

Businesses like airlines are starting to use such tools like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to simplify customer service.Could you imagine connecting with the public in the firendly way was the answer?Friendships?In an industry where every airline essentially sells the same service with essentially the same additives, the airlines that do use social media to connect with their disappointed customers, will stand out as the friendly(er) brand.

Has Porter Airlines found our solution to our long running problem in the airline industry? Or is this idea going to crash like many others.They say "you can’t teach an old dog a new trick", but can you teach a new dog, an old trick?

Porter did not satisfy my complaint. When my return flight was cancelded, the Porter representitive at the gate told me that the cost of my flight through Air Canada to get back home would be reimbursed. Now porter is refusing to stick to their word and pay me back. I'm sick of companies saying one thing a doing another.